hello, goodbye

wow ...
2010!!!

seriously?!

we decided to celebrate our past year
and say goodbye to 2009 by having a nice dinner at home -

we set the table up 'fancy'
which we NEVER do

we had 'wine'
no worries - it wasn't real

and we sat around a candlelit table and talked
we also spent way too much time convincing alex that he didn't get his dessert until he ate at least a few bites-
but i won't go there ;)



the boys told us that the highlights of their 2009 were:

drew - getting to spend a lot of fun time with his family
ben - getting to play with his best brothers
and
alex - getting to decorate signs that said 'happy new year'

the boys LOVED it!
who would've guessed that all it took was a few wine glasses and some cloth napkins ;)

once dinner was over-
and cleaned up
we were ready to bring in 2010!

AND ...
what better way to do it than with some friends/neighbors!!

the mullens came over.
and together ...
we rocked our way into 2010.
literally.
we had to actually pause the ball drop until the song was over so that we didn't miss it

now as i sit here today ...
i am just thinking a little.
i saw so many people on facebook who were so glad to see 2009 go -
and ready for 2010 to start.
and it just made me think -

although it's fun to look at those things around the corner -
i'm not ready to say i'm excited to see 2009 go -
time is already going too fast!!
i almost have a NINE YEAR OLD!!!

lots of things happened this year ...
and i don't want to forget, even for a second, those things which made 2009 special.



we gained a new - very fluffy - member of our family
still not sure how smart of an idea that was ;)

and we lost lots of teeth.

we said hello to another brand new mazda

and said goodbye to the metrodome.

drew got to go away to camp for the first time

and we got to go on a fun summer vacation

we got to celebrate a grandma -
and how special she is -

but then just a few months later we were left saying goodbye :(

and THEN ... just a few months after that ...
we said goodbye again ...
to stacey's grandpa :(

it was a year full of ups and downs -
but each one of those things made us stronger
and brought us closer together

and most importantly ... we had a TON of fun

are we ready for everything that 2010 has to offer -
ABSOLUTELY!
but not without first looking back and remembering those things which got us here in the first place.

thanks for all of the memories, 2009!
and here's to an INCREDIBLE 2010!